Rotary engine.



Nn. 672,700. PatentedApr. l23-,19'0L w. H. cRowE. RUTARYUGINE. (Application led .Tune 27, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

ATTO EVS A i w/TNESSES /I/w, M.

Nc. 072,700. Patented Apr. 23, mol.

w. H. nieuwe.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application 1ed Juno 27, 1900.;

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

NiTnD TATS " ATNT Fries.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 672,700, dated .April 23, 1,9011.

Application filed June 27, 1900. Serial No. 21,779. (No modem To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENDRY OROWE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning andState of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rotary engine which is sirnple and durable in construction, very eective in operation, and arranged to utilize the motive agent to the fullest advantage.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention isl represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of the improvement with the {1y-wheel removed and with parts in position at the beginning of the exhaust. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. tis a sectional plan View ofthe same on the line -i 4: in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the packing for the piston-head. Fig. G is a side elevation of the tripping device for the abutment, with parts shown in section; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan View of the abutment, with parts in section.

The rotary engine shown in the accompanying drawings is of the single type, but may be combined by the addition of a low-pressure cylinder and the necessary connections, and hence I do not limit myself to the particular single-type engine shown and presently more fully described in detail.

On a suitably-constructed base A is held a cylinder B, in which rotates a piston O, secured on a shaft D, extending through stuffing-boxes in the cylinder-heads and journaled in suitable bearings carried by the base A, as is plainly shown in the drawings. On the ends of the shaft D are secured fly-wheels or pulleys E E for transmitting the rotary motion of the engine to other machinery.

On the piston O is secured a radially-extending piston-head O', extending with its outer end in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder, and said piston-head O operates in conjunction with the abutment F, mounted to slide radially in the cylinder B between the inlet-port d and the exhaust-port b, said inlet-port being connected by a pipe G with a suitable source of motive-agent supply and said exhaust-port being connected with an exhaust-pipe H for carrying the exhaust motive agent to the outside.

In the inlet-port a is arranged an admission or cut-off valve I, mounted to rock and having its valve-stem I provided with an arm I2, pivotally connected with the eccentric-rod I2 of an eccentric I4, controlled by a centrifugal governor I5, of any approved construction, held on the iiy-wheel E, so that the valve I is rocked in its valve-seat to admit the motive agent to the cylinder at the proper time and to cut off the steam according to the speed of the engine.

The stern F of' the abutment F extends through a suitable stuffing-box to the outside of the cylinder B, and on the outer end of this stem F is secured an arm F2, drawn on by a spring F3, attached to the cylinder, so as to hold the abutment F normally in an innermost position.

In order to move the abutment F outward at the proper time for the passage of' the piston-head O, the following device J is provided: An arm J', securedfon a rock-shaft J2, contains a slidable pin J2, pressed on by a spring J4 and rounded off at one side, so that when the arrn J rocks in the direction of the arrow o then the pin J 2 engages the arm F2 and pushes the stem F and abutment F outward against the tension of the spring F2, and when the pin J3 finally passes off the said arm F2 at the time the abutment F is in an outermost position and the pistonhead O has just passed the abutment then the spring F2 quickly returns the abutment F to an innermost position. When this takes place, the valve I moves into an open position to allow the motive agent to pass into the cylinder between the abutment F and the piston-head O to turn the latter and the piston O in the direction of the arrow h. (See Fig.

3.) When the arm J' swings backward, then the pin J 2, owing to the rounded-oft' portion IOO thereof, readily glides over the arm F2 and the front face of the pin again engages the inner face of the arm, so as to be ready to move theabutment outward again on the next forward rocking of the arm J' in the di- .rection of the arrow a.

- the abutment F, I provide the abutment at the sides and inner end with packing-bars F4, made L shaped and pressed outward by springs F5, the ends of the bars overlapping, as at F6, at the rear of the abutment, the forward ends of the bars being formedl with lugs F7, abutting against shoulders F8 on the abutment.

In order to prevent leakage past the piston-head C', I provide the same at its outer end with a packing-bar C2, hinged atvC3 to the head C' and pressed outwardly by a spring C4, set in a recess in said head, as is plainly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Packing-bars C5engage the sides of the head (y, and springpressed packing-rings 0.6 are arranged in the base of the piston C and pressed outward by springs C7, so as to prevent leakage of steam past the base of the piston. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)'

The operation is as follows: When the several parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3,

then the motive agent passes through the port a into the cylinder between the abutment F and the piston-head C, so as to turn' the cylinder to act on the piston-head C by expansion until the piston-head passes the by the action of the spring F3. When the piston-head C is passing the port a, the valve I vagain opens toadmit steam to the cylinder between the abutment F and the piston-head and give another impulse `to the piston-head C to turn the piston O in the direction of the arrow b', and the above-described operation is then repeated.v

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder having an inlet and an outlet for the motive agent, a piston mounted to turn in the cylinder and having a head, a spring-pressed abutment slidable in the cylinder and adapted to engage the piston, a rock-shaft actuated from the piston-shaft, an arm on said rock-shaft, and a spring-pressed catch slidable lengthwise of said arm to engage the abutment-stem and shift the same.

2. A rotary engine, comprising, a cylinder having an inlet and an exhaust for the motive agent, a piston mounted to turn in said cylinder and having a piston-head, a springpressed abutment slidable in said cylinder between said inlet and said exhaust and moved into an innermost position by the tension of its spring, and means for moving said abutment outward against the tension of its spring for the passage of the piston-head and releasing said abutment after the pistonhead has passed the abutment, the said means comprising a rock-shaft actuated from the piston-shaft, an arm on said rock-shaft, and a spring-pressed catch held to move lengthwise of said arm for engaging a projection on the abutment-stem and moving Jthe abutment outward, and for finally releasing said projection for the spring of the abutment to return the latter into an innermost position, as set forth.

3. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston held to rotate therein and provided with a piston-head,and a spring-pressed packing-bar pivoted to the piston-head at one side thereof and extending transversely from one side of the piston-head to the other, said bar being adapted to engage the inner face of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HENDRY CROWE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT HOGG, EDGAR J. REILLY.

IOO 

